


Renault Times Editorial by Michael Odell

by fawatson



Series: ITOWverse: Jack o' Lantern [5]
Category: RENAULT Mary - Works
Genre: Fictional Newspaper Story, Gen, Halloween, ITOWverse, Metafiction, Renault Times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-20
Updated: 2011-11-20
Packaged: 2018-05-31 19:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6483667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawatson/pseuds/fawatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Article in <i>The Renault Times</i> about the pumpkins that Alexander brought to the clubhouse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Renault Times Editorial by Michael Odell

An impromptu festival was held at the  
clubhouse last week in honour of  
Thesmophoria.  The celebration was  
initiated by Alexander, who arrived  
with a donation of pumpkins.  For the  
benefit of our modern readers, who  
may not be completely familiar with  
this festival, I should explain that  
Thesmophoria is normally for women  
only.  I spoke with one of the  
planning committee about the activities.

“We couldn’t be completely  
traditional,” Arete explained, “without  
insulting the honoured patronage of  
King Alexander; but nonetheless  
everyone was completely in  
agreement that the essence of the  
festival demanded women should be  
in charge.”

All men—including this humble  
reporter—were banished from the  
clubhouse for the first two days of the  
festival while the women prepared.    
On the third day, however, the  
women emerged, resplendently  
dressed in their finest gowns, to invite  
the men to participate in a special Games.

“We decided to break with  
tradition to include the men,” said  
Thalia.  “This place is, after all,  
outside tradition.  Had we been  
book-bound, of course, this could  
never have happened.  But here at the  
clubhouse, we decided to share.”

A makeshift stand was erected  
on the drill field to the rear of the  
clubhouse from which Queen  
Olympias, looking magnificent in  
scarlet and gold, presided over an  
opening ceremony, before the horses  
were pressed into service for a kind  
of ‘pumpkin polo’.  Pumpkins had  
been strategically placed all over the  
field and competing teams were  
tasked with trampling them into the  
earth.  After a close contest Queen  
Hippolyta’s team emerged winner,  
her team of maidens having run down  
fully 420 pumpkins to the other  
team’s 418.

“I did have a slight advantage,”  
she acknowledged, “since Alexander  
lent me Boukephalos; and the  
Athenians only had those few horses  
left after the siege.”

The Games concluded with a  
sumptuous feast, complete with  
pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread,  
braided into most interesting shapes.

 

_— Michael Odell_

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted to the [maryrenaultfics](http://maryrenaultfics.livejournal.com) LiveJournal community.


End file.
